Greater New Orleans

Green Wave debuts as the nation's No. 31 ranked team in the latest Golf World rankings

New Orleans - The Tulane women's golf team opens the 2009-10 campaign this weekend at the 2009 Texas A&M "Mo" Morial on the Par 72, 6,255-yard course at the Traditions Golf Club in Bryan Texas, and TU will begin the season nationally ranked with its No. 31 spot in the Golf World/NGCA Coaches Poll.

The three-day event begins with the first round on Friday, Sept. 11 and will continue with the second round on Saturday and the final round on Sunday. The format for the "Mo" Morial will be 54-hole stroke play with 18 holes played during each round.

The 11-team field for this year's event includes Missouri, Oklahoma, Sam Houston State, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-Pan American, Texas-San Antonio, Tulane and Tulsa. The Green Wave is the highest ranked team among the field, while three other squads also received votes in the same poll.

Michigan State is the defending team champion after posting a 67-over par 931 total a year ago to finish nine strokes ahead of the University of Denver, while Sara Brown of Michigan State was the individual medalist with a 5-over par 221 total.

The Green Wave returns to the links for the first time since its Cinderella run last season that saw the team capture two tournament titles, including the Conference USA Championships, post a fifth-place finish at the NCAA East Regional and advance to the NCAA Championships where the team registered a 20th place effort. What made the season even more special was the fact the program was back for the first time since its suspension following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"We are excited to get the season started this weekend as we have a great schedule this year," Tulane head coach John Thomas Horton said. "The Traditions Golf Club will be a good test, and we look are looking forward to the challenge. The ladies have been working hard this summer. We will be able to use this tournament to see where we are with the start the season and what improvements we will need to make as we go forward."

Tulane returns four 2009 All-Conference USA performers, including junior Linn Gustaffson, the 2009 C-USA and Louisiana Player and Newcomer of the Year, junior Janine Fellows, a second team All C-USA selection and the sophomore trio of Ashley McKenney (All C-USA Third Team), Samantha Troyanovich (All C-USA Second Team) and Stephanie Wagstaff. The 2009-10 Wave line-up features a pair of newcomers in true freshmen Maribel Lopez Porras from Bogota, Colombia and Sage Roth from Millersville, Md.

The Green Wave begins its second season under head coach John Thomas Horton, the 2009 C-USA and Louisiana Coach of the Year.